The High Street traffic measures - not long to wait

I have been told that all being well, that is that the plans are accepted by the various parts of the Borough Council and then by the Council itself and no hitches or problems have been discovered late in the day, that we the public should have the proposals before us before the end of October.

What will be proposed is still a closely guarded secret, but it will be very much open to discussion and comment.

We shall try to let you know as early as possible when and how the proposals may be consulted.

Interactive - a new facility on this site

New online Forum is created at www.4newport.org

Since the Newport Rural Conservative Branch was formed in 2006, the website (www.4newport.org) has gone from strength to strength, providing local news and views to the people of Newport and the Surrounding rural area. To celebrate its 2 year anniversary we have launched a new online forum to discuss local issues with local Councillors in the hope that it can be debated in an open and constructive format.

Councillor Dan Ashley co-creator of www.4newport.org, discusses the importance of the forum and bringing the community together over the internet.

“Do you have any question on the Newport Canal, Newport Regeneration, Tourism in the Town, Town play parks, Borough Towns Initiative, What is Telford and Wrekin doing for Newport? These are just a few questions that I have come across in my time as a local Borough and Town Councillor, and to be honest I didn’t have the answers to a lot of questions. So I used to make a few phone calls to colleagues and then they would make phone calls (and so on) and then finally I would get back to person who contacted me to relay that message, cut a long story short, it took a long time! With the open forum at www.4newport.org the local people can address their concerns and it can be answered by any of the six local councillors or members of the public! How easy is that?”

“It’s all and well good that newsletters get issued every now and again from various political parties, but with the internet and this forum, news, views and debates are almost instantaneous and address important local issues to the rural community of Newport”

Local people need to get involved with local matters and voice their opinions & concerns! With the power of the internet this can be done in comfort of your own home or the Newport Library.

Telford setting the pace

It was announced to day that in little over 3 months an Enterprise Headquarters will open in Coalport, in factin the old John Rose Building. This has been planned with consultations over many months with many organisations, and the capital cost of £760,000 will be met by the Borough Council, The European Regional Development Fund, and Advantage West Midlands via the Rural Regeneration Zone and Shropshire Enterprise Partnership.

The centre will include up-to-date meeting studios and boardroom, front desk services, a wireless connected enterprise lounge and latest ICT equipment. Small home-based businesses which lack meeting space or support systems will be able to benefit, from fees as little as £5 per month.

The concept has evolved from a pilot unit in Shrewsbury, and the centre is expected to provide both regional and national facilities eventually.

The valley which was at the forefront of technology in the 18th and 19th centuries will thus become a facilitator for technology in the 21st century.

The significance for Newport and its district is partly that Councillor Eric Carter (Newport East), in his capacity as cabinet member for regeneration, has been a leading figure in the planning process, but there will be even more contact. The centre will have a network of smaller hubs in outlying towns such as Newport and Wellington and villages, as home working becomes become more common.

All in all the centre will provide vital support for home workers and small entrepreneurs throughout the region. It will be the first full-sized scheme and should add to wealth and job creation over the coming years.